DBE Applicants Must Meet
These Criteria

business status, including size

social & economic disadvantage

ownership

independence

management and control

Alaska Unified Certification Program (AUCP)

The Alaska Unified Certification
Program (AUCP), which is mandated by the US Department
of Transportation and administered by the Alaska
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
(ADOT&PF) Civil Rights Office (CRO), is your
"one-stop" certification process which provides
you an opportunity to participate as a Disadvantaged
Business Enterprise (DBE) on projects funded by
the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA), and Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) that are let by numerous
agencies throughout the State of Alaska.

The Certification Process

Submitting the Application

A completed application and supporting
documentation demonstrating eligibility must be
submitted to the Civil Rights Office. Certification
applications are processed in the order they are
received. It generally takes no more that 90 days
to review an application after a completed application
and all supporting documentation have been received.

Interstate Certification

The Alaska Unified Certification Program (AUCP) will consider all firms seeking DBE Certification in Alaska if the applicant’s firm is currently certified in their home state. Certification is dependent on a review of the current home state certification in accordance with Federal regulations 49 CFR 26.85.
More information found here.

Determining Eligibility

Disadvantaged owners are interviewed
in person
and an on-site inspection of the business is conducted.
After the interview, the Civil Rights Office representative
prepares a summary that is used to determine whether
the firm meets the eligibility requirements for
certification as a DBE.

If a firm is awarded certification,
it becomes eligible for participation as a DBE
on transportation-related contracts with federal
funding. Information about the certified firm
is placed in the DBE Directory for distribution.

If a firm is denied certification,
it is notified about the reasons why and is provided
information on its appeal rights. Denied firms
must appeal directly to the U.S. Department of
Transportation.

Updating Certification.

Annually, on the anniversary of the
firm's certification, all DBE firms are required
to update information about ownership, management,
equipment, employees, business size, and personal
net worth.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility requirements for certification
as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) are
set out in Title 49, Part 26, of the CODE OF FEDERAL
REGULATIONS (CFR). The following discussion summarizes
key information, but does not cover all requirements.

Business Status.

The applicant firm must be an existing
"for profit" business. It must also meet the federal
definition of a small business based on its primaryNAICS code, as described by the Small Business
Administration (SBA), and must not exceed $23.98
million in annual gross receipts averaged over
a three-year period. This size standard is for
construction related work. Depending on the type
of work the business performs, other size standards
may apply.

Social and Economic Disadvantage.

A disadvantaged owner must be a U.S.
citizen (or resident alien) and meet the federal
definition of socially and economically disadvantaged
as defined in 49 CFR 26.67. Presumptive groups
include Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native
Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Subcontinent
Asian-Americans, Women, and other minorities designated
by the SBA. Individuals who can demonstrate social
and economic disadvantage on an individual basis
may also qualify.

Business Ownership.

Disadvantaged owners must hold at least
51% ownership in the firm and must control the
day-to-day operation and management of the business.

Professional License.

When a firm's primary line of work requires a
professional license, the disadvantaged owner
must hold the license.